The Good News January 5, 2025

Epiphany: How will you share your gifts with Jesus?

Today we end our Christmas Season with the Epiphany of the Lord. On the feast of the Epiphany, we celebrate the revealing of Jesus’ true identity as the Messiah.

In today's gospel the Magi seek out Jesus to show him respect by honouring him with special gifts. As we think of our own journeys and the gifts we have, how do we encounter Jesus and how do we share our gifts with others?

As we step into a new year and a new journey, may each of us be reminded how loved we are and how we are called to share our gifts and love with others.

• First day back
• 4R Share and Care Program

• NK Owls of Alberta (in class)

• Early Dismissal - Wear your favourite jersey or sportswear
• N1 & N2 Bird Presentation

• Regular Day

• Assembly (1:20)

Jan 13 - N1 & N2 SWC (in class presentation)

Jan 15 - Face to Face Retreat, Hot Lunch

Jan 20 - N1 Hawks of Alberta

Jan 23 - Fitset Ninja

Jan 28 - Hot Lunch

Our EICS Division Administrative Procedure 134 provides guidelines for us at Saint John XXIII for responding to the winter months:

• Decisions regarding outdoor activities are to take into consideration inclement weather that may result from the following conditions or combination of conditions: Continuous rain; Extreme wind, and/or Extreme cold

• The suggested guideline is that students do not go outside if the temperature is - 25 C or colder. The suggested guideline above is at the discretion of school Administrators and staff as part of their consideration for determining whether recess will be inside or outside. Outside time is sometimes shortened or withheld to accommodate winter conditions

• Morning: Supervision begins at 8:30 am, please do not drop off students prior to 8:30 am.

• Outdoor breaks are a very important time for students for play, social-emotional regulation, fresh air, and exercise. We will go out almost every recess; rain, snow or shine. Please ensure that your child comes prepared for the weather. Recesses will be indoors only during extreme weather conditions deemed unsafe to head out for even short spurts.

• In order to support the important balance of learning and play, we will have three responses to recess breaks to respond to Alberta weather:
  

1. Regular recess outside (temperature and conditions not an issue)

2. Inside Recess (Extreme cold and/or weather conditions that are deemed unsafe for full duration of outside playtime)

3. Polar Bear Recess: (Temperatures are lower and cold but still safe to head outdoors for short periods). Students must be dressed for weather conditions and during a Polar Bear recess, students will be given a choice to head outside for a short duration of supervised play or stay indoors for supervised play.

We know from research that outside play is so important for a child's mental, social, emotional, and physical well-being and we will do all we can to support daily outside play as much as possible.

If you have any questions, please contact the school.

We’ll be using Munchalunch for ordering hot lunch! It’s a simple, convenient way to choose and pay for your child’s lunch online. You can easily pay with a credit card (Visa/Mastercard), debit-credit card, Google Pay, Apple Pay, or a pre-paid credit card.

How to Register:

1) Go to: https://munchalunch.com/schools/stjohnXXIII

2) Click the “Register Here” button (as shown below). The system will guide you through the registration process.

3) After adding your children, click the green “Order Lunch!” button to order.

4) Next time, just click the “Login Here” button to access your account.

Ordering Information:

Online ordering for January Hot Lunch is now live:

• Wednesday, January 15th - Booster Juice & Cobs Bread

• Tuesday, January 28th - Pancake Lunch (Ricky’s)

Important Reminders:

• Orders will be accepted up to 7 days before the hot lunch date.

• If your child is ill or absent on a hot lunch date, you’re welcome to pick up their lunch order by 11:30 AM. If you’re unable to do so, please consider it a donation for a child in need.

• Please note that we are unable to issue refunds. We appreciate your support of our hot lunch program, as the prices include costs associated with running the program and help raise funds that benefit the student experience at our school. Thank you for your understanding!

If you need assistance with ordering, please contact our hot lunch coordinator Brandy at Hotlunchstjohnxxiii@gmail.com

The School Council would like to extend a sincere thank you to all the volunteers who helped with the preparation and execution of this year's Advent Concert. Your time, effort, and support did not go unnoticed, and we truly appreciate all that you did!

We invite all St. John XXIII students to submit their artwork for this year's Yearbook Cover Contest! All entries must be submitted by January 20th. A panel will select the top five submissions, and then the school population will vote on their favorite design via a Google form.

The winning artwork will be featured on the front cover, while the remaining top four selected designs will be showcased on the back cover.

Don't miss your chance to have your artwork seen by the entire school!

Submit art on:

1. 8.5 x11 sheet of white paper

2. Vertical orientation only

3. Colorful (bold, dramatic lines and colours. No pencil crayons or water-colour paints as they do not show up well when scanned. Suggested tools- markers, sharpies)

All entries must include:

Our theme - “Rooted in Christ", inspired by John 15:5,8: “I am the vine; you are the branches… bear much fruit, and become my disciples.”

Entries due January 20th

Tips for a good entry:

1. Limit the amount of white space - lots of colors (including the background)

2. Use up the whole sheet of paper (the bigger the better)

3. Choose bright and bold colours! Avoid using pencils and light colored crayons.

4. To make your cover POP, create a thick outline using a sharpie or marker

5. Covers will be scanned so artwork must be completely flat

We're excited to offer our remaining Big Box of Cards sets! Each box contains 35 handcrafted cards for just $36.32. Choose between the All Occasion box or the Birthday box set—perfect for any celebration!

Hurry, as these sets are available on a first come, first serve basis and quantities are limited. You can order as many boxes as you'd like from our available stock, so be sure to stock up for all your upcoming events! Payment is quick and easy through MunchaLunch, and must be made at the time of order. Don’t miss out on this fantastic deal!

Mark your calendars! Our next School Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, January 20th, at 6:30 PM. We encourage all parents and guardians to attend. We look forward to seeing you there!

Way to go St. John XXIII! As a school community we were able to donate 963 pairs of socks to local charities and shelters. Many people will have warm feet this holiday season thanks to you.

Email: stj@eics.ab.ca
Website: https://stj.eics.ab.ca/
Location: 9526 89 Street, Fort Saskatchewan, AB, Canada
Phone: 780-998-7777
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/St.JohnXXIII
Twitter: @St_JohnXXIII